This module is designed to meet the research methodology requirements of the MPharm programme. Following a taught introduction to research methodology you will undertake a substantial piece of original research or clinical audit that requires the collection of data and subsequent analysis of that data.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
A series of lectures will be used to introduce research skills and theory, data analysis, method validation, how to present one's research and research ethics. The student will assemble over the course of the project a portfolio of materials to develop and maintain their research skills, eg. the practice of literature research, data presentation, data analysis and abstract writing. The workshops will consist of problem-based style exercises to reinforce the concepts covered in lectures in relation to research skills and data manipulation (validation, appraisal, analysis and presentation). Students are provided with specimen research papers which are critically analysed. Research papers without conclusions or an abstract are provided to enable practise in writing these sections of a research paper. Lectures on project planning, safety and resource issues will be followed by student selection of the project to be undertaken.
The student will work independently on their study supported by their project supervisor. The student will also be expected to manage their time effectively to make best use of learning opportunities and resources, eg. laboratory time.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Lectures, workshops, oral and poster presentations and supervisor meetings | 40 |
| Guided independent study | Laboratory and/or field work and data collection work related to project. Production of project proposal, preparation for oral and poster presentations, data analysis, literature search and production of project report | 560 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 600 | |
A portfolio of materials and resources will be expected to be kept by the student that will consist of a number of tools and activities to support the organisation and delivery of their project. These include a log book providing a contemporaneous summary for their project work/literature search and meetings with supervisor and other stakeholders, a reflective account of the learning achieved from completing a project, a project proposal outlining a summary of the key papers related to the topic, objectives, a time plan and methods to be used and ethical and safety consideration related to them. This will also include a reflective evaluation of different sources retrieved using different search engines / databases/ gateways used in literature search and also an account of attending workshops within the module producing a reflective accounts of learning achieved from those workshops. This will be formatively assessed on an ongoing manner by the supervisor and feedback provided. This portfolio will then be used by the student to feed forward into the summative assessments of the module. (NOTE: This is not a portfolio of assessments but a portfolio of materials compiled by the student and reviewed by the supervisor to support the student's learning and development throughout the project. It will also form a valuable resource for preparing their summative assessments.)
The summative assessments consist of an oral presentation, given approximately half way through the academic year, where the students will provide a progress report, as well as give the student the opportunity to demonstrate their competences in presenting scientific information. A poster presentation of the final work will include a component where the student has to explain their poster and answer questions on their work. The final capstone piece of work will be for the student to produce a written project report using scientific convention to demonstrate that they can not only identify relevant literature but to critically appraise it, present results, carry out analysis on those results and critically appraise their results in the context of the current literature and knowledge on the subject. The report will be a maximum of 30 pages in length. This report will be double marked by the supervisor and an independent second marker. The supervisor's mark will include a weighting for student engagement, contribution and self-determination.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Demonstrate an understanding of the philosophy behind research design and select and design a research project and produce an appropriate project proposal/protocol (formulate a research plan including experimental work) so as to manage their research time and available resources efficiently either individually, or as part of a small group. | Project report Oral presentation Formative assessment of proposal |
| 2) Locate contemporary research publications both in text and electronic format and undertake extensive and current literature review, exploiting all available sources of information. | Project report |
| 3) Critically analyse and interpret data by applying basic statistical methods and critically appraising current research topics in the primary literature. | Project report Formative assessment |
| 4) Demonstrate competence in the preparation of a research report and dissemination of results, and their interpretation, in a variety of ways including oral or poster presentation. | Project report Oral and poster presentations |
| 5) Use advanced techniques to generate data relevant to the proposed plan of research. | Project report Poster presentation |
| 6) Assess the safety and/or ethics of planned research protocols and show consideration for the safety of colleagues and, where applicable, to develop safe working practices. | Project report Formative assessment |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Practical examination | Oral presentation | 10% |
| Practical examination | Poster presentation | 20% |
| Coursework | Project report (maximum length 30 pages) | 70% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
For practice projects:
These will be recommended as appropriate and dependent upon the research topics selected.
These will include papers from the literature including publications such as the New Scientist, Lancet, Education in Chemistry, Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, Pharmacological Reviews, Science, Nature, Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, International Journal of Pharmacy Practice, The Pharmaceutical Journal, British Medical Journal and relevant pharmaceutical, scientific and medical journals according to the subject area.
Official guidance, eg. NICE, NPSA, NSFs, etc. will be relevant to some projects